UMS SKELDAR - www.umsskeldar.aero - exhibits with joint venture partner Saab (Stand Number 03-B12) at UMEX 2018, the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference 25-27 February 2018. This event is the opportunity to meet key military and Government contacts from across the region. The company, no strangers to the UAE, regularly attending UMEX, IDEX and the Dubai Air Show, is ideally placed to support customers in the Gulf region which is especially interesting for the Saab joint venture, focused on the mid-range multi-role unmanned rotary VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing) market.

Saab has received an additional order from the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) regarding Trackfire Remote Weapon Station (RWS) for the Royal Swedish Navy. Trackfire RWS will be installed on the new Combat Boat 90 (Strb90 HSM) used by the navy’s amphibian forces.

Saab has received an order from the Australian Government under the Warship Asset Management Agreement (WAMA) that will see the continuation of sustainment for Navy’s ANZAC-class frigates. WAMA is a strategic partnership which includes Saab Australia, BAE Systems Australia Defence and Naval Ship Management Australia.

Naval Group is showcasing its latest innovations at UMEX (Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference) currently held in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The rotary-wing air-raid drone developed in partnership with Airbus – VSR 700 - is displayed on Naval Group’s booth along with the demonstration of the deployment of I4Drones® mission system realized in 2017, with the coordinated deployment, in real time, of 3 drones (air, surface and submarine). With strong, scalable and responsive system architectures, Naval Group successfully developed this innovative product specifically designed to adapt to the tactical situation through the exploitation of the data collected by the drones.

The Gorky shipyard in Zelenodolsk of Ak Bars Holding laid the keel of the eleventh guided missile corvette of project 21631 (Buyan-class) on February 23. The Russian Navy commander-in-chief named it the Naro-Fominsk, the shipyard said.

The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of its second Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ship, USNS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4), Feb. 22. Delivery marks the official transfer of the ship from the shipbuilder to the Navy. ESB 4 will be owned and operated by Military Sealift Command.

BMT has successfully completed sea trials for the first of two 48m patrol boats destined for the Qatar Coastguard. Partnering with ARES Shipyard (ARES), the duo have designed and built 17 patrol boats from advanced composites in just 36 months – 18 months ahead of schedule. The last in the series – the 48m ARES 150 HERCULES has just completed sea trials which have been hailed a success with the vessel achieving a maximum speed of 37 knots.

Rolls-Royce has signed two contracts with BAE Systems to supply low-noise propellers and mission bay handling technologies for the UK Royal Navy’s new Type 26 Global Combat Ship. The contracts cover the first three ships - the first of which is currently under construction at the BAE Systems shipyard in Glasgow.

The third 125 class frigate (F125), the “Sachsen-Anhalt”, has taken to the sea for the first time. On February 22, 2018 the ship left the shipyard in Hamburg for scheduled in-port trials. The ship’s technical systems and equipment, including its propulsion system, maneuvering behavior and technical operations, will be tested over a period of around two weeks. The trials will take the ship from Hamburg via the river Elbe to the North Sea before returning to Hamburg after completing the test program. In addition to technical specialists from the German defense procurement agency BAAINBw, the testing team from the ARGE F125 consortium and employees of other companies involved, members of the future naval crew are also on board. Following the “Baden-Württemberg” and the “Nordrhein-Westfalen”, the “Sachsen-Anhalt” is now the third of the F125 class frigates to take to the open seas.

Further strengthening its international reach and its presence in South Korea, Babcock International, the highly- skilled engineering company has announced that it is to open a facility in Busan, South Korea’s second largest city after its capital Seoul. With a long – standing presence in the country through its Weapons Handling and Launch System (WHLS) design and manufacture contract for the Jangbogo III submarine programme, and work in the commercial marine market, Babcock is looking to further invest in the country as it drives forward with its global growth ambitions.

The Petr Morgunov big landing ship of project 11711 built by the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad is to be floated in May 2018, shipyard spokesman Sergey Mikhailov told TASS. "The Petr Morgunov has to be floated in the second half of May," he said adding the warship is to be handed over to the Navy this year as scheduled.

The French Navy is looking to procure some E-2D Advanced Hawkeye carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft from Northrop Grumman for delivery in about ten years, Navy Recognition has learned.

FMV and Finnish Defence Forces Logistic Command (FDF LogCom) have signed two cooperation agreements within the torpedo area. One regarding cooperation during development and procurement of the new Swedish lightweight torpedo system, "Torpedsystem 47", and one regarding lending current lightweight torpedo system, "Torpedsystem 45" until the new system is in place.